The Jeep
by Brandywine421
Summary: Inspired by southerngirl and finlee's drabble requests. Ryan gets his own Jeep. One Shot.


_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything OC related. **_

* * *

"There's no way Mom's going to let you park that in the driveway," Seth says, holding his skateboard under his arm.

Ryan runs his fingertips across the rusted bumper of the jeep.

"Does it even run?"

Ryan rolls his eyes at Seth and climbs into the driver's seat and starts the engine. It only sputters twice before it starts. Seth's laughing but Ryan ignores him. It's going to be a while before Seth gets to drive his jeep. He pops the hood and hops out to take a look at the motor.

"Dude, are you serious about this? I mean…"

"You don't have to stick around, Seth," Ryan says finally, turning away from his examination of the engine. He wants this jeep. He wants a car of his own. He's tired of bumming rides from Marissa and Seth.

"I just can't believe you're thinking about buying this piece of crap…" Seth wrinkles his forehead as he examines the primered paint job and rusted bumpers.

"It's not your money. It's my money. If you don't have anything constructive to say, why don't you just go home?" Ryan asks, frustrated.

"Ryan…" Seth starts.

"So, what do you think?" the man selling the jeep walks out to meet him.

"I think I like it. You say you have a garage I can park it for a few days and do some work on it?" Ryan asks.

"Sure thing. I'm moving at the end of the month, though, so you'll have to have it out by then, all right?"

"I can do that," Ryan nods. He doesn't even glance back to see if Seth's still there.

* * *

"Sandy? I have something to show you," Ryan says, two weeks later. He managed to get most of the grease off his arms but Sandy raises an eyebrow at him anyway. 

"Are you going to tell me where you've been spending your days since Seth's still pouting in front of the playstation?" Sandy asks, following him outside.

"Yeah. I saved some money from Chino and I did some side work at this garage to fluff out my account and…I bought this jeep," Ryan says, motioning toward his sort of new vehicle.

He's spent the last two weeks replacing parts and beating out dents. The Jeep looks almost new with the black paint-job.

"You…you bought a car?"

Ryan runs his hand down the brand new bumper. "It's a jeep. I got a really good deal and it's all totally legal, I got it inspected before I brought it home…"

"You didn't think I'd want to know about this?"

Ryan hesitates. "I paid for it. I even…I even got it insured," he says, holding out a pamphlet. "Did I need permission to buy something with my own money?"

Now Sandy's the one hesitating.

"I…I worked really hard on it. I'll pay for my gas and everything, I just…it'd be nice if I had access to a car so I don't have to ride my bike everywhere. I'm all about the exercise, but it's a little ridiculous for me to try and get a job and have to ride my bike to work," Ryan says.

Sandy walks over and takes a closer look at the jeep. Ryan glimpses Seth in the doorway, his mouth open.

"There's no way that's the same jeep," Seth says, unfreezing and rushing out to join them.

"You knew about this?"

"I told him it was a bad idea…but this is awesome!" Seth grins. "It's so…shiny!"

Ryan slaps his hand away. "No touching. You didn't put in on this, man."

Seth laughs and turns to his dad. "So, can we have it?"

"Ryan did this. This is his car. It's up to him whether or not you have access to it, when you decide to save up and take the initiative, you can have your own car."

Ryan smiles, dangling his keys. "So. Want to spring for take out? I'll go pick it up."

* * *

Ryan rolls over and lifts the phone to his ear. "Hello?" 

"Ryan. It's Seth…I can't find Dad and I…I need some help…"

"What's wrong? God, it's like, 3 am, where are you? Last I saw you, you were headed to bed…" Ryan sits up, rubbing his eyes.

"It was an emergency, Summer's dad went out of town and she called and I went over to her place…"

"Okay, so what's wrong?" Ryan asks, stepping into his shoes and hurrying toward the main house to find Sandy.

"God, please don't be mad, but I couldn't find the keys to the Rover so I…I took your jeep…"

"My jeep, Seth?"

"I was going to have it back before you even knew it was gone, but…I, sort of, had an accident…"

"An accident? Are you okay?" he asks instinctively.

"Yeah, I'm fine…but your jeep's not…"

* * *

Sandy glares past the policeman at Seth who turns away to face Ryan again. 

"Man, I am so sorry…"

Ryan holds up his hand and speaks into his phone. "No, he wasn't insured on my policy…he's my foster brother…okay…okay…okay, thanks for your help, I'll come into the office tomorrow to finalize the paperwork…"

"Dude?"

Ryan sighs and walks away from his crumpled jeep and climbs into Sandy's BMW without answering him. Seth follows him and sits down in the backseat. "I am so sorry, Ryan, is the insurance going to cover it?"

"No," Ryan replies.

"Mom and Dad will pay for you to fix it…"

"You are such a prick," Ryan states flatly, turning around to look at him. "The whole reason I saved up my money and got my summer job was so I wouldn't have to ask them for money. So I wouldn't have to burn their gas and borrow their cars. I mean, I know that material things don't mean shit to you, but I worked hard on that jeep, it was…it was mine, I worked for it, I earned it…and now all I have to show for it is a towing bill…"

"Ryan, man, I'm sorry, I'll…" Seth starts.

"You'll what? Make it up to me? With your parent's money? Just…don't worry about it, you've done enough for me lately, Seth."

Sandy gets into the car. "Okay, guys, let's go home…Ryan, we'll get your jeep fixed as soon…"

"No. Forget it. I'd rather just forget the whole thing…" Ryan snaps.

"This isn't your fault, I'm not going to make you pay for Seth's mistakes," Sandy protests.

"You shouldn't have to pay for his mistakes either. Fuck the jeep. Just…let's go home."

* * *

Seth sits at the counter and listens to his parents murmuring in the other room about appropriate punishments. 

But he's being punished enough. He watched this morning as Ryan left on his bike at first light so he could make it to his job.

He knows he messed up. When he was little, he had this habit of breaking his toys. Toy robots don't go in the bathtub. Play-doh doesn't go in the salad. Horses don't go in the fireplace.

But he'd always cry and his parents would bring him a new, better toy.

So what, he's spoiled. Ryan should be spoiled, too. It's not his fault that Ryan doesn't take stuff from his parents.

But the look of pride on Ryan's face when he brought the shiny, remastered jeep home…

That's his punishment. Ryan made that jeep from nothing but a wreck. He worked for it.

Seth never appreciates anything. He knows that's one of his flaws, everything that he takes for granted. He took Summer for granted, and his parents, and he almost lost them in a trip to Portland. His grandpa's dead and now his best friend isn't talking to him.

"Seth."

"I'm going to my room for a while," Seth says quietly, ignoring his father's calls as he runs to his room.

* * *

"Thanks, Matt, for the ride." 

"No problem. Look, I can pick you up tomorrow, I'm staying at my girl's house down by the pier…"

"I'll give you a couple of bucks for gas," Ryan agrees, stepping out.

"Thanks. See you at nine," Matt calls, pulling away as soon as Ryan closes the door.

Sandy's standing on the front porch. "Hey. I could've given you a ride."

"I needed the air this morning. There was this big crash on the freeway last night and we're mad busy," Ryan says.

"I want to talk to you, no disappearing." Sandy is serious and takes his backpack from him and waves him inside.

Ryan sees Seth sitting on the couch solemnly and he immediately goes to sit beside him, not meeting his gaze.

Kirsten and Sandy sit down across from them.

"We're buying a car for the both of you to use, but because of Seth's irresponsibility, he's not allowed to drive it until further notice. All of us will be insured to drive it and we'll take care of the payments and the insurance unless one of you gets a ticket or in another accident…" Sandy starts.

Ryan shakes his head with a sigh.

"You don't have to drive it, man," Seth whispers.

"Ryan…" Kirsten starts.

"That's very nice of you. Thank you. Is that it?" Ryan asks.

"Apologize," Kirsten says to Seth.

"Oh, no, that's it," he says, waving his hand to cut her off. "I need to get a shower, I have a long day tomorrow," Ryan says, walking out of the room.

A forced apology, that would really make Seth understand. That would make it all better.

* * *

"You sure you want to go through with this?" Alex asks him. 

Seth nods weakly, staring at the trashed remnants of the jeep.

"All right…but it'll be a lot easier and faster if you just let me fix it myself without making me teach you," Alex says, rolling up her sleeves.

"No. I have to do this myself. I just…need you to teach me how."

"All right. We'll start small…this is a tire, there are four of those on most vehicles," Alex points out seriously.

"Shut up and just…"

"All right, Cohen," Alex says, holding out a rag. "But you're going to get dirty."

* * *

Ryan walks into the kitchen and sees the bandage on Seth's hand. "What happened to you?" 

"The jack slipped and…oh. Nothing," Seth recants.

"The jack? Seth…"

"Come on, you'll drive me and I'll show you…"

"Show me what?" Ryan asks. He hasn't talked to Seth apart from at dinner in the past two weeks and he hasn't driven the designated car since it's purchase.

"You have to drive me there. But I really need to show you…because this fucking sucks," Seth says.

Ryan is too confused to deny him as he drags him outside to the sedan.

"Where are we going?" Ryan asks finally when he can't take the suspense anymore.

"Turn in there," Seth points and Ryan cuts the car into the small garage in the numbered streets.

"Seth…"

"Come on," Seth says, getting out. Ryan follows him into the garage and stops cold, recognizing his jeep despite the unpainted panels.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm fixing it," Seth says, putting his hand on the opened hood. "Alex is teaching me and she actually seems to know what she's doing. Although I don't. So mainly, it's me trying to do what she says and then her following behind me and fixing things that I do wrong."

"You're…" Ryan stammers, stunned.

"I know it's not about the money. It's about me respecting things that are important to you. You're important to me and…you loved this jeep. So…the least I can do is try to fix it for you…like, I'm trying to fix it. Myself."

Ryan doesn't know what to say.

"I just…wanted you to know."

"Thanks, Seth," Ryan smiles. "It…it means a lot…"


End file.
